Improvement in steam-engine regulators



P. GATELY'. Steam-Engine Regulator.

Patented July 8, i879.

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UNITED T S PATENT OFFIcn.

" PATRICK GATELY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM'FENGINE REGULATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patentllo. 217,275, dated July 8,1879; application filed November 21, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK GATELY, of the city of New York, State ofNew York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-EngineRegulators; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and

exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawingsaccompanying and'form ing part of this specification.

This invention has reference to a means for regulating the speed of asteam-engine, and also to arrest its motion entirely by operatingdirectly on the piston and piston-rod instead of indirectly on thesteam-valves or apparatus connected therewith.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a steam-enginecontaining myimprovement, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof,taken through the line m m of Fig. l.

a represents the steam-cylinder; b, its steamchest; athhpiston-rod; d,the pitman; e, the crank; f, the fly-wheel; g, the piston.

The piston-rod is extended out through the steam-cylinder head h andthrough the head i into another cylinder, j, and contains at its end apiston, k. In each of these heads is a stuffing-box to prevent leakage.This second cylinder has a connection through the pipe I from one sideof the piston to the other, this pipe I being connected to the cylinder,near each head, at m m. In this pipe is a valve, n, shown in thedrawings as a hand-valve; but such valve may be arranged so as to beoperated by a governor, as hereinafter explained.

The operation of this arrangement of mechanism is as follows: The secondcylinder, j, is filled with water, oil, or other equivalent fluid, andthe valve a run up, so as to permit of a free circulation of the wateror oil in the cylinderj and pipe I from one side of the piston to theother. Steam is then let onto the steamcylinder a, and in the operationof the piston k, which always moves in the same direction as the pistong in the steam-cylinder, the water or oil will be pumped from one sideof the piston is to the other in the cylinder j by passing back andforth through the pipe I. The pipe lie of a diameter large enough so asto offer little or no resistance to the action of the steam-pistonunless the valve n is more or less closed.

When it is desired to slow up the engine the valve n is closed to thenecessary extent, the effect of which is to bring a resistance to tentinstantly, and without jar or injury. If

I the valve were entirely closed the efi'ect would be to hold the pistong rigid against the action of the steam. This controlling of the pistondirect is superior to the mode heretofore practiced of endeavoring toeffect the same end by regulating the introduction of the steamto thecylinder at by an arrangement attached to and operating the main valvein the steamchest, because in such former mode the head-. way of theengine is not interfered with, except so far as the cutting oft" of thesteam to the cylinder at accomplishes it. A brake would still berequired to take 0% such headway.

A governor may be attached to the valve n, a proper form of valve beingthen substituted for such hand-valve n, and then the flow of the wateror other. fluid in the pipe I is controlled by the movement of theengine, so that such speed is rendered more uniform.

The water or oil cylinder and its piston-rod may be combined with thesteam-cylinder by means of intermediate shafts or counter-sh afts,

for instance, so as to bring the two cylinders parallel instead of inthe same line with each other.

The invention may also be applied to water or other engines requiring aregular motion, as well as to steam-engines.

I am aware that a valve actuated by a piston and separate slide-valve,in combination with a cylinder, with apiston to form a watercushion, hasbeen used in connection with a main cylinder of an engine.

I am also aware that a water-cushion cylinder has been used inconnection with the main slide-valve, having a piston attached to it ateach end for admitting steam to the cylinder. I do not, therefore, claimsuch an arrangement, as it is not my invention.

' By my invention the water-cushion cylinder performs the function of acushion to the main piston and forms part of the main engine,

ble regulating-valve, and the other end of said rodf'att'ached to apitman or other element,

which maybe connected with the piston of such main cylinder, constructedand arranged for operation substantially as and for the purposedcscrlbed.

PATRICK GATELYQ Witnesses:

R. N EWELL, JAMES H. HUNTER.

